DEPUTY Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the public will be able to use the cash from the copay project over two months from Oct. 29 onwards with details of the scheme to be tabled to the cabinet next week, Naewna newspaper and PPTVHD 36 said today (Oct. 1). After cabinet approval the public
Business
PM outlines policies to Parliament amid economic challenges
By Reuters and published by CNA PRIME Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Monday (Sep. 29) outlined his coalition government’s policy agenda to Parliament, focusing on immediate actions to revive Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy. Anutin’s policies include measures to reduce living costs, tackle household debt and stimulate domestic tourism, with Thailand now struggling with United States
Read moreBangkok film festival starts on Saturday
MOVIE buffs will be delighted to hear that of after a 16-year hiatus the Bangkok International Film Festival 2025 (BKKIFF 2025) is kicking off on Saturday Sep. 27 and run till Oct. 15 as “Asia’s platform for contemporary film and culture” with over 200 movies from 40 countries being screened, Naewna newspaper said. Mr.
Read moreEconomic policy consistency ‘will reduce risk of recession’
ALTHOUGH Thai gross domestic product (GDP) may dip in the third quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter the new government’s economic policy continuity will help mitigate the risk of recession with growth expected to recover slightly in the final quarter, according to a projection by Krungsri Research which PPTVHD 36 published
Read moreUS Fed starts easing path, other major central banks on hold
By Reuters and published by Yahoo!Finance London –The US Federal Reserve has delivered its first rate cut since December, diverging from most other major central banks that have kept interest rates unchanged. The Bank of England kept rates steady on Thursday (Sep. 18) and the Bank of Japan is expected to follow on Friday,
Read morePolice urged to focus on companies in ongoing money-mule crackdown
THE target of the current police crackdown on mule account holders which has led to some innocent people being trapped should be lawyers and accountants who are helping Chinese grey capitalists open thousands of companies for money laundering, Naewna newspaper quoted “Drama-addict” Facebook page as saying today (Sep. 16). A bank employee told the
Read moreNo Thai-Khmer border checkpoints to reopen at any time soon
By Thai Newsroom Reporters THAI-CAMBODIAN BORDER checkpoints are not going to reopen for cross-border trading at any time soon despite sustained calls for it from the business sector, confirmed Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul today (Sep.15). Given the fact that many areas along the shared border in four northeastern provinces and three eastern provinces of
Read moreMalaysians, Singaporeans flocking to Thailand via Betong checkpoint
THE BETONG border checkpoint in Yala was bustling since 5 a.m. this morning (Sep. 15) with a large number of tour buses and private vehicles carrying Malaysian and Singaporean tourists queuing up to pass through passport control amid continuous rain, Naewna newspaper said. This big rush to holiday in Thailand is because today is
Read moreMerchants seen insisting of cash payment as account freezing spreads
WITH the freezing of bank accounts spreading amid a crackdown on mule accounts, several fearful merchants have stopped accepting digital financial payments and insist on cash only, Naewna said this afternoon (Sep. 14). Ordinary people are beginning to withdraw cash from their accounts as they fear a sudden freezing, a Thai-named Facebook page that
Read moreThai consumer confidence at lowest in over two years in August
By Reuters and published by CNA THAI consumer confidence dropped for a seventh consecutive month in August to its lowest level in 32 months due to concerns about a slow economic recovery, political instability, and US tariffs, a survey showed today (Sep. 11). But sentiment could improve under Thailand’s new government, said Thanavath Phonvichai,
Read moreCabinet nod for extending 7% VAT rate for another year
THE CABINET has approved in principle a draft royal decree to be issued under the Revenue Code for extending the 7% VAT rate for another year from Oct. 1, 2025 till Sep. 30, 2026 to stimulate the economy, Naewna newspaper said this morning. Mr. Pinsai Suraswadi, director-general of the Revenue Department, said the Finance
Read moreTokyo most popular destination among Thai tourists: Thai Airways
THAI Airways International (THAI) said its flight data from January to July 2025 shows Tokyo is the most popular destination for Thai tourists in Asia while Colombo, Sri Lanka, has seen 100 percent increase in the number of Thai visitors, Thai Rath newspaper said today (Sep. 3). Mr. Kittipong Sarasomboon, THAI’s chief commercial officer,
Read moreThailand’s foreign visitors drop 7.16% y/y in first eight months of 2025
By Reuters and published by Business Times THAILAND’S foreign tourist arrivals this year up to the end of August fell 7.16 percent from the same period a year earlier, the Tourism Ministry said on Tuesday (Sep. 2) There were 21.9 million foreign visitors during the period, it said in a statement, with China the
Read moreMichelin-star chef’s restaurant fined in omelet controversy
A RESTAURANT operated by Michelin-star chef Jay Fai was fined 2,000 baht after diners alerted the authorities that they had to pay a whopping 4,000 baht for a crab meat omelet that was listed in the menu at 1,500 baht, Amarin TV said today (Aug. 20). Mr. Ronnarong Poolpipat, secretary-general of the Consumer Protection Board,
Read moreMove to give free domestic air tickets to foreign tourists
AS PART of a tourism promotion campaign the cabinet is going to be asked to approve the distribution of free domestic air tickets, along with 20 kilogrammes of baggage allowance, to 200,000 foreign tourists who purchase regular-priced air tickets to fly to Thailand, Thai Rath newspaper said this morning (Aug. 20). Mr. Sorawong Thienthong,
Read moreSri Lankan workers coming to replace Cambodians who have returned home
WITH hundreds of thousands of Cambodian migrant workers having returned home following the five-day clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border and ongoing tensions between the two countries, the Thai government is now bringing in Sri Lankan workers to replace them, Amarin TV said this evening (Aug. 19). Labour Minister Pongkawin Juangroongruangkit said the cabinet has
Read more‘Cambodia Cola’ unveiled amid anti-Coke wave
AFTER Coca-Cola terminated its advertising contract with popular Khmer rapper VannDa over his political comments on social media on the border dispute with Thailand, two Cambodian companies have now launched “Cambodia Cola” to compete for a market share amid an anti-Coke sentiment, MNG Online said today (Aug. 18). Cambodian leader Hun Sen intervened in
Read moreThailand’s Q2 growth beats forecast but faces slowdown in H2 on tariffs
By Reuters and published by CNA THAILAND’S economy expanded faster than expected in the second quarter on strong export growth ahead of US tariffs taking full effect, but momentum is likely to slow over the rest of the year, the state planning agency said on Monday (Aug. 18). Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy grew 2.8
Read moreThai central bank cuts key rate by 25 bps, as expected
By Reuters and published by CNA THAILAND’S central bank lowered its key interest rate by a quarter point on Wednesday (Aug. 13), its fourth cut in 10 months as it looks to support a sluggish economy grappling with negative inflation and the impact of US tariffs. The Bank of Thailand’s monetary policy committee unanimously
Read moreLabour shortage at longan plants, orchards as over 300,000 Cambodians have left
WITH OVER 300,000 Cambodian migrant workers having returned to their homeland due to the five-day clashes along the border that ended on July 28 longan farmers plus owners of plants processing this fruit are facing a labour shortage and while Myanmar workers have been brought in work in their stead at these plants, it
Read more